1 rooster 2 many hens, but want to have chicks

Hello,
We have one blk australorp rooster and 6 blk australorp hens plus more (20-hens total). I know the rooster can't cover all these gals. We'd like to have him fertilize the blk australorp hens and then hatch some out. I currently have a broody hen, but no fert eggs that I know of. Anyone have suggestions on how to go about this challege? They free range during the day and roost in a closed coop at night.
Thanks for any help/suggestions!

20 hens is not too many for one rooster. If you do a web search, the recommended ratio is anywhere from 1-15 to 1-25, depending on which web-site you are on. Although some roosters seem to perform better than others. I have 1 rooster to 27 hens (which is too many) but I'm only allowed 1 rooster. I would add another if I could.

thanks, I thought about separating the blk astralorps for a period of time. How long? and how many eggs? I can easliy use one of the horse stalls and separate them for a short period of time, then let whoever is broody sit on eggs in that location, but will she?
Thanks for the feedback!

Since you only have one roo, you can separate them out and just monitor how he's breeding. you should know in a couple days if he's covering everyone. I check fertility a couple times a month. I randomly crack an egg. Plus I hatch a lot as well. I've got a very fertile roo. Even when he was jumping the fence, he was still fertilizing each girl every day.

And, depending on how long you want to be getting hatching eggs would depend on how long you keep them separate.

If you've got a broody right now, I'd give her eggs and just see how they do. Candle in 7 days, and if they're not developing throw them out. Odds are you'll have quite a few fertile eggs, and you can cross your fingers that they're the australorp eggs!

Candeling is very easy. Get yourself a mini-maglite, take out the plastic lens and screw cap back on. Now, get you some eggs, close yourself up in a dark closet---don't laugh, lol----this is how I do it. I even take a chair in there with me. I take one carton with eggs in it, and an empty one to place already candeled eggs in. Just put the tip of the maglite over the end of the egg....will shine right thru. Even works for my EE eggs, dk brown eggs, and even my quail eggs. It doesn't matter which end of eggs you light up, until they are well advanced....then I just use large end. Good luck and happy candeling !!!

I don't even take the plastic lens cover off. I just put the egg on the light (mine is a D cell Mag Lite), and close my hand around it so all the light is directed through the egg. You'll be looking for blood veins and a little black, wiggly embryo. Once you see it, you'll know that's what you saw. It's pretty obvious if your eggs aren't too dark.